Visitation guidelines announced Posted on December 18, 2014 by Dakota PikeALBANY, N.Y., December 16, 2014 — Visitation guidelines are being implemented at several regional hospitals to further protect patients from influenza and other infectious diseases. These actions are being taken in response to increasing numbers of cases of influenza (Type A-H3N2) across the state and in this region.The guidelines will be implemented in all hospitals joining this announcement by Friday, December 19, 2014.Hospitals implementing the restrictions include Albany Medical Center; Nathan Littauer Hospital; St. Peter’s Health Partners acute care hospitals including Albany Memorial Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital (Troy), St. Peter’s Hospital, and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital; Ellis Medicine acute care hospitals including Bellevue Woman’s Center and Ellis Hospital; Glens Falls Hospital; Columbia Memorial Hospital; St. Mary’s Healthcare (Amsterdam); and Saratoga Hospital.The restrictions include the following:A maximum of two visitors will be permitted in a patient’s room at any one time.Children 12 and under will be prohibited from visiting patients’ rooms, as they are more likely to have and transmit respiratory infections.Visitors with rash, diarrhea or respiratory symptoms will be prohibited from visiting patients. These symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath.The hospitals also are urging all visitors to use hand-washing stations before entering and upon leaving a patient’s room. Hand sanitizers are available at many hospital entrances and at many other locations throughout these hospitals, including the doorways of many patient rooms.Some hospitals have special care units or physical layouts which may have additional visitation restrictions.Hospital officials said there is a potential that this flu season could be more severe as one of the strains circulating is not in the vaccine. They advised that it is still important to get vaccine, as it offers protection against other circulating strains and will reduce the likelihood of severe illness.The same guidelines announced today were developed and temporarily implemented in previous years to address influenza outbreaks. These temporary restrictions are intended to help limit the transmission of the virus and protect the health and safety of patients and the professionals who provide their care during the outbreak.
Littauer Primary Care earns national recognition Posted on December 18, 2014 by Dakota PikeLittauer Primary Care earns national recognition for Patient-Centered CareNCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician partnershipGLOVERSVILLE—The(NCQA) announced the Primary and Specialty Care Centers of Nathan Littauer Hospital have received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships. “We are pleased that the NCQA has recognized our high-quality of medical care being provided at all eight of our Primary and Specialty Care Centers. We have all focused on becoming a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) because we believe that is what is best for our community” said Patrice McMahon, Vice President of Primary Care for Littauer. “We have collaborated with our entire medical team and spent the last several years investing in and reforming our practice to provide better, more comprehensive care for our patients.“ The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care. “NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that Littauer has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.” To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, Littauer demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.To find clinicians and their practices with NCQA PCMH Recognition, visit http://recognition.ncqa.org. NCQA evaluates nine Physician Practice Connections®-Patient Centered Medical HomeTM standards, including 10 “must-pass” elements, which can result in one of three levels of recognition. Level 3 is the highest level of recognition. The PPC-PCMH program reflects the input of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Osteopathic Association, and others. “With a PCMH, our patients’ health should improve as we strive to provide seamless coordinated care” added Littauer’s McMahon. About NCQANCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.XXXNathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton Counties in Upstate New York with a full-service 74-bed acute care hospital, eight primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894, has 1,000 employees and recently hosted ground-breaking spine surgeries. For more information please visit www.nlh.org.
Friends of the Gloversville Public Library celebrate with Littauer’s Birthing Center Posted on November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – In celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week, Oct. 19 through 25, 2014, Friends of the Gloversville Public Library presented the first baby born this week at The Birthing Center at Nathan Littauer Hospital with a basket of books and gifts.Maya Michelle Claus was born on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 6:37 a.m., making her the gift recipient. She is the daughter of Jordan and Telisa Claus of St. Johnsville. She joins a sister Ava.Presenter Nancy Krawczeski, Vice President Friends of the Gloversville Public Library, said the organization does this annually during National Friends of Libraries Week for the first baby born at Littauer.“We really enjoy doing this” Krawczeski said. “We hope these books will encourage a love or reading in the child and they will choose to visit our library” she added.The gift is made available through backing provided by the groups fundraising efforts. Friends of the Gloversville Public Library Director Barbara Reppenhagen were also a presenter of the basket to the Claus family.PHOTO CAPTION:Jordan and Telisa Claus of St. Johnsville with their new born daughter Maya are the recipients of the Friends of the Gloversville Public Library gift basket at Littauer’s Birthing Center during National Friends of Libraries Week.
Latest edition of Vital Signs newsletter Posted on September 29, 2014September 29, 2014 by Dakota Pikesept vital signs_pdf926Please enjoy our September edition featuring the Flu Season update, Summer 14 Reflections, and Goodwill Employee of the Quarter.Permalink: https://www.nlh.org/2014/pressreleases/latest-edition…gns-newsletter
Central Civico Summerfest a success Posted on September 8, 2014 by Dakota PikeAmsterdam health fair draws crowdSaturday, August 23, 2014By Sudip Bhattacharya Gazette Reporter AMSTERDAM — Since second grade, Thalia Leon, 18, has to deal with her severe asthma.Even going up a flight of stairs can force her to stop and try and catch her breath. She’s been using her asthma inhalers daily.On Friday, however, she spoke with Dr. Maruthi M. Sunkara, a pediatrician certified in asthma education at Nathan Littauer Hospital, about her condition.He told Leon to ask her doctor for a different sort of medication, and to also find out what could possibly be triggering the asthma, such as dust or pollen. He handed her information that could also help her.This was a common scene at the second annual SummerFest that was held at the lot at Centro Civico and sponsored by Nathan Littauer.The clouds gathered overhead. The wind was cold. But again and again, people from the community would arrive, and ask for more information at one of the many vendors dedicated to healthcare and health services.“There’s not much to do in Amsterdam so it gives kids a chance to get off the streets and have fun,” Leon said.There were 30 vendors at the event, including St. Mary’s Healthcare and Wal-Mart, who provided free vision screenings.SummerFest, according to Fabrizia Rodriguez, director of community development initiative at Centro Civico, is a way for people in the community to know what resources are available to them, and for the providers to get to know the community as well.Laurence E. Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer, said that being at the event was a way to spread information and help people figure out how to access healthcare.“It’s nice to be out of the office and in the community,” said Janis Freeman, a nurse practitioner at Nathan Littauer. She was at the event sharing information about the threat of skin cancer.The event, which lasted from 1 to 7 p.m., also included music and food, from empanadas to collard greens.And of course, bouncey houses for the kids.There was also a long line for free school supplies, since the school new year is right around the corner.For Elvira Ramos, who was with her 9-year-old son, Christopher, the event was useful. Her nephew Brandon Ramos, and her mother-in-law, Gloria Vega, both visiting from New York, were also at the event.Elvira Ramos had gone to almost every healthcare vendor and felt she could share the information she learned that day with other people she knew.“They should do this more often,” she said.It was Antonio Diaz’s first time at the event. He didn’t have a primary care provider but he spoke with those at the booth for Fidelis Care. He made an appointment for next week with Fidelis to discuss getting health insurance.PHOTO: Children pose as future doctors in a cut-out by the Nathan Littauer Hospital at Central Civico’s Summerfest
